- Sets Aside 26% of 2020 Budget for Education
- Commences Holistic Renovations of Schools
- Sponsors Students to Foreign Universities
By Samson Yaki
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdulahi Sule, has taken popular and commendable steps to revamp the state’s all-important Education Sector.
The State’s Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Hajiya Fatu Sabo Jimeta, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Education Monitor, said that the Governor has demonstrated this determination by giving the education sector a landsliding budget of 26%, which is the first of its kind in the history of the state.
Hajiya Sabo said the administration has also done the unusual by engaging the private sector in partnership for the renovation and upgrading of schools in the state.
“This administration has been able to engage the private sector, in its determination to upgrade facilities in all its secondary schools. In Government Girls Science Secondary School Garaku, for instance, all academic structures and the Hostels have been renovated by Keystone Bank. Another Bank is also handling the renovation of Government Science School Lafia”, she said.
Hajya Fatu Sabo said the state government has already sponsored about 27 students to major in different fields in Ugandan University to boost the manpower requirement of the state.
The Commissioner said with the attendant need to refocus the education sector in the state, a baseline data survey was conducted to ascertain the availability of manpower and the facilities available in order to chart a roadmap for accurate planning.
“In order to have a credible data regarding the education sector, the state government has conducted a baseline survey of the basic and Secondary Schools in the state; adding, ” with that, we now have fairer idea of the facilities available in our these schools and the impacts these institutions have on their communities”.
On the issue of COVID-19 and resumption of schools in the state, the Commissioner said the ministry is still observing the guidelines provided by the Federal Ministry of Education regarding the re-opening of schools, saying that an inter-ministerial committee has been set up to ensure that, ” our schools are safe before we can re-open our gates for students to come in “.
She explained that the process needs public enlightenment to educate the parents, teachers and the students to understand the pandemic, how to identify its symptoms and handle it.